In the sector of hybrid-propulsion rocket engines, it is known to provide a rocket engine of the type comprising: a combustion chamber for combustion of a fuel, in the case in point a fuel in the solid state, with a comburent, in the case in point an oxidant in the liquid state; a nozzle for discharge of the products of combustion from the combustion chamber; a tank for containing the liquid oxidant; and a feed valve to control the supply of the liquid oxidant from the container tank to the combustion chamber.
Generally, the feed valve comprises a valve body, at least one supply pipe made in the valve body for communicating with the container tank and with the combustion chamber, an obturator mounted in the supply pipe, and an actuator device to move the obturator between a position of opening and a position of closing of the supply pipe itself.
Since the obturator must be displaced between its open and closed positions in a relatively short time interval and, hence, at a relatively high actuation rate, the actuator device must be shaped for generating a relatively high actuation power and is, hence, relatively cumbersome, heavy, and costly.
From what has been set forth above, it follows that, on account of the presence of the device for actuating the obturator, known rocket engines of the type described above are relatively complex, cumbersome, heavy, and costly.